I usually brainstorm general ideas from interests my kids have , lessons I want to teach them or themes from books we’ve discovered. Then some days your toddler is antsy and you grab window markers and decide to color and clean the ride on toys you have on your deck.  This car wash play was so much fun. We have washed toy cars and trucks many times before but this was a great way to mix in some creativity . My one disclaimer is to please test the window markers on your toy cars before assuming they will wipe off. Ours did without any issue even the bits that weren’t wiped right away but I’d hate for any toys to get ruined so please test first!

1. Gather your materials. You will need some window markers, some warm water, a soapy sponge and some plastic riding toys.
2. Start by coloring the cars.
3. Don’t mind the dirt , that car is used as a tank in my son’s imaginary WWII play with pine cone bombs and is more than ready for a wash.
4. She loved making dots. One tip is to use dark colors that show up well first to give your toddler a good sense of making marks. The pale ones may frustrate young ones when they are hard to see.
5. Dip your sponge in the water . To be honest I think she liked wringing out the sponge more than anything and I liked that she was having fun.
6. Wipe away the coloring.

We will definitely be doing this simple activity again and again! I already have ideas for my son that include spelling words.